Dear Texas Division Compatriot:
It was our pleasure to work with and coordinate with the Texas Division the efforts that led to lifting the Bee County imposed Confederate flag ban at "Western Week." Our clients, Texas Military Images, turned their booth over to the SCV, and the Hobby Camp reports a very successful recruiting effort at Western week. We look forward to the chartering of a new Camp in Beeville.
A little background on how all this came about.
When Chief Trial Counsel Lyons saw the September 28th news report on the Bee County Commissioner's banning the Confederate flag at Western Week, he immediately started gathering intelligence to force a showdown with the Commissioner's. This included renting a booth for Texas Military Images (the test plaintiffs - We didn't use the SCV as plaintiffs so we could fly under the radar and not have Western Week or Bee County find a legal excuse to refuse us a booth), acquiring a copy of the new contract terms for Western Week and recruiting locals sympathetic to the Confederate cause. Texas Division Commander Holley and his staff, including Judge Advocate Moore were brought in immediately so that the SCV would be prepared for any eventuality and have people on the ground at Western Week to man a booth or begin a protest, whichever way the case went.
A week before Western Week began the TMI's vendor booth was confirmed, SLRC sent a letter to the Western Week Committee asking permission to fly Confederate flags at the TMI booth. The Committee Chairman said they would get back to us. Our local friends told us there was a private meeting between the County Commissioner's & the Western Week Committee to discuss our request and as of Friday evening, October 11, the Commissioner's said not only NO to the Confederate flag on County property, but HELL NO!! A Commissioner's special meeting was scheduled for Monday Afternoon October 13. Western Week started the following Friday!
It really looked like we might have to sue them. If so we would have to draft a demand letter to drop on the County Attorney's desk on Monday, draft a Federal Complaint & Temporary Restraining Order and be ready in just a few days - for filing a lawsuit in Corpus Christi federal Court no later than the following Thursday. Kirk planned to drive 1300 miles to Corpus Christi with HK, so Kirk could file and argue the lawsuit and Restraining order and then be available to attend Western Week if we won, or go to jail with HK if we didn't (somebody would have to pay HK's bail:-).
All weekend, Kirk & the staff worked tirelessly on the legal research to back up the demand letter - that the Commissioner's vote banning the Confederate flag was a prima facie violation of the 1st Amendment and that they rescind the ban or face a lawsuit. The demand letter was finished early Monday morning and delivered by email & fax to the County Attorney and the Western Week Committee. But the lawsuit & Temporary Restraining Order were not finished - if we had to sue them we would have to do it on the fly while driving to Texas. Now, did we have the money to pay for all this traveling & lawsuit filing? - NO, but that has never stopped us before. To quote Davy Crockett, "Make sure you are right, then go ahead!" If we had to sue Bee County and later pay back personal credit cards we had FAITH that we could do so, once our efforts became known to the confederation.
But by the grace of God, the threat of a lawsuit worked this time - and the Bee County Commissioner's struck their colors! "Oh we were misunderstood" they said, "We only meant to ban Confederate flags from our (inoperable) County flag pole outside the expo," they claimed. No one was fooled.
Victorious, Confederate flags and their rights intact, our clients, Texas Military Images, Inc., graciously donated their booth to the Sons of Confederate Veterans and the A. M. Hobby Camp of Corpus Christi and other Texas Division volunteers led a very successful recruiting effort at Western Week with CONFEDERATE FLAGS (see photo of the booth above). We look forward to a new Camp being chartered soon in Beeville and the SLRC staff hopes to attend the charter ceremony - perhaps at next year's Western Week!
Compatriot's the good guys won this one! And we rejoice.
But all things come at a price. This is an excellent example of why the Confederate community needs an aggressive, flexible and johnny-on-the-spot law firm when Tiny Town Tyrants begin their next undermining of the Constitution. Who else does what we do? Without retainer? Immediately? 24/7?
And frankly gentlemen we at the SLRC REALLY, REALLY need your help. Your generous individual & Camp support of the SLRC will help make sure that we are there for the next emergency... and the next and the next!
HELP US NOW SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO HELP YOU - AND PRAY FOR US!
Thank you and Sincerely,
Thomas Lee Willis
Executive Director
Executive Director
Please send you most generous individual and Camp donation to:
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PS Our thanks to Cdr Holley, Judge Advocate Moore, 8th Brigade Cdr John McCammon, Hobby Camp Cdr Gary Cornett and Adj James Wilson
